This syllabus is located at: http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/647.fall2013.html

Course
Description

Geophysical Fluid Dynamics deals with large-scale fluid motion on
a rotating body (i.e. a planet). Often, the rotation, stratification
and surface curvature place important constraints on the dynamics of
the fluid. These "fluids" can be oceans, atmospheres, ionized
atmospheres, molten rock and even ice. We will develop the
mathematical (and hopefully intuitive) tools to study these very cool dynamical
systems.

This course will cover the following topics among others:

Characteristics of geophysical fluids

Basic fluid dynamics

Waves and instabilities

Rotation and stratification

Introduction to Turbulence

Course Syllabus

Prerequisites: Graduate
standing or permission of instructor. Mathematical methods will be
used extensively in this course.

Lectures:Note
room : MWF 1-2 in Room 204 Natural Sciences Building.
If you miss the first class, check back here for any changes in schedule. The
lectures supplement but do not substitute for the reading. Lectures
will cover the major topics, emphasizing and discussing the important points.
They are not sessions to regurgitate material already written in the text
(though they sometimes may be!). Your personal participation is important,
and it is critical that you read the assigned material before lecture. Time
permitting, several lectures will cover special topics beyond the scope of
the text. These will be announced before hand.

Homework: There will be
approximately one homework assignment per week. The assignment will
be given out (and posted on the web and in the hall in front of my
office) on Wednesdays and will be due in class on the following
Wednesday. You are encouraged to work with others on the homework,
but please make sure the work you turn in is not simply copied from
someone else. These assignments help me assess your understanding of
the material, and will count toward the bulk of your final grade.Late problem sets will not in general be
accepted.

Project: There will be a
project due worth approximatley 20% of the course grade. The project
will be in the form of a web page and presentaion on a topic in
geophysical fluids that you find interesting and we agree on
together. These topics could include research you are involved in,as
well as general topics of interest and importance in GFD. The topic
must be agreed to by Oct 2nd and must be competed by Dec 2nd. They
will be graded both for presentation and content. More details will
be discussed in class.

Exams: Exams will be take home
exams: Check back for more details and
dates

Grading: The course will be graded on
a plus/minus grade scale and the grade will consist of the following components:

2 take home exams 30 %
Homework 40 %
Project 30 %

Contacting Me: I have office hours as
listed above. You can drop by at other times if I'm not busy, or make an appointment.
I am (almost) never available before class.

Special Needs: The Office of
Disability Services implements the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and
insures that UAF students have equal access to the campus and course materials.
We will work with the Office of Disabilities Services (203 WHIT, 474-7043)
to provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities.

Plagiarism etc: Plagiarism and
cheating are matters of serious concern for students and academic institutions.
This is true in this class as well. The UAF Honor Code (or Student
Code of Conduct) defines academic standards expected at the University
of Alaska Fairbanks which will be followed in this class. (Taken from the UAF
plagiarism web site, which has many links with good information about this
topic)

Complaints and Concerns: You are always
welcome to talk to me about anything, however, if you have a non-subject matter
question or concern that cannot be resolved by me, contact the department chair,
Dr. Szuberla, Physics Department Office, room 102 NSCI.

Alternate References: To see
the same topics explained differently, try the following:

General Advice: Physics is not
something you read and memorize, rather it is something you learn how
to do. Try the following study procedure:

Read the material prior to lecture, so that you will know what it's about.

Listen carefully to the lecture and take notes, ask questions and participate.

This is crucial: Do not go back and read and re-read
the chapter until you "understand it." Rather, start working problems, going
back through the chapter to clarify points as they come up. I suggest read
relevent sections in other texts to see alternate ways of presenting the material

Think! Physics is, by in large intuitive, so if you think through a problem
first you can often figure out the answer before working through to the solution..